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The last Republican debate before Iowa: Did Bachmann just save Romney?
Slate ^ | December 16, 2011 | John Dickerson

Posted on 12/16/2011 8:15:18 AM PST by americanophile

There have been so many debates during the Republican preseason that it was hard to believe the one hosted by Fox News in Sioux City, Iowa, was the last one before the voting begins. Ratings have been strong, and commentary has been endless: You can imagine a network trying to squeeze in just one more--are you free on Christmas Eve, Governor?

It has been a thrilling debate run: Pawlenty crashed; Perry blanked; Romney confronted Perry; Gingrich shined; 9-9-9; Perry blanked. But the Sioux City debate was not an epic contest. It was like the primary race itself: no dominant figure but with something for Republicans to like in each of the candidates. In a recent New York Times/CBS poll, 66 percent of Iowans said they are still undecided about their final choice. This debate didn't make their job any easier for them.

But Iowans must choose, so in that spirit: The winner of the evening was Mitt Romney. His performance was solid and his defense of his flip-flops was better than his chief rival Newt Gingrich's explanation about his work for Freddie Mac. Most importantly, all the other candidates were effective, and Romney benefits more than Gingrich from a broad strong field that splits the vote.

Romney regained the form he showed in the early debates, commanding and at ease. Romney made fun of mistakes he made in the private sector (He thought Jet Blue wouldn't work), and he talked about how he learned from his errors. Maybe it's a good thing Gingrich has challenged him. He picked up his game.

Gingrich acquitted himself well, too: He was a pugilist, bashing judges, lawyers, Obama's decision on the Keystone pipeline. And he was even self-deprecating, saying at one point that he was "editing himself" in his...

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bachmann4romney; debate; gingrich; gopdebate; iowa; iowagopdebate; michelebachmann; mittromney; newt; newtgingrich; rickperry; romney
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1 posted on 12/16/2011 8:15:30 AM PST by americanophile
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To: americanophile

“The last Republican debate before Iowa: Did Bachmann just save Romney?”

You wish.

But nice try trying to dig Mitt out of a hole.


2 posted on 12/16/2011 8:18:44 AM PST by VanDeKoik (1 million in stimulus dollars paid for this tagline!)
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To: americanophile
The community organizer's "teachable moment" is coming...
3 posted on 12/16/2011 8:19:07 AM PST by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: americanophile

Only a liberal would think Romney won last night, Gingrich BLEW ME AWAY again last night. It wasn’t even close.


4 posted on 12/16/2011 8:20:23 AM PST by TexasFreeper2009 (Newt Gingrich 2012!)
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To: americanophile
The debate was fabricated for Romney by his
pimp Wallace and Ailes/Soros at FOX News.

Winner: Speaker Gingrich
Place: Perry
Show: Santorum

Loser: Romney and his Rollins-prepared servant, Ms. Bachmann.

"I did my job: to defend my Mr. President, Moot Romney."

5 posted on 12/16/2011 8:21:22 AM PST by Diogenesis ("Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. " Pres. Ronald Reagan)
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To: Diogenesis

Funny, I don’t think Wallace likes Romney at all.


6 posted on 12/16/2011 8:26:10 AM PST by americanophile ("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
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To: TexasFreeper2009

Same here. I was starting to give Bachman and Perry a second look but Newt was amazing. Just stunning.

Perry did okay. He just acts like he’s on drugs to me. One debate he’s half asleep, the next one he’s jumpy and Mr. Commedien.

Bachmann jumped the shark. There are a lot of things to accuse Newt of but supporting late-term abortion-murder is NOT one of them.


7 posted on 12/16/2011 8:27:15 AM PST by Reagan69 (I supported Sarah Palin and all I got was a lousy DVD !)
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To: americanophile

i ask this question for entertainment purposes only but why would Bachmann a ultra-conseervative kiss Romney’s liberal butt ..supposedly for a VP? slot.
Even if that were true why would she stay with McRomney since he hasn’t gained any traction in 2,, no 7, years?


8 posted on 12/16/2011 8:27:49 AM PST by Leep
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To: TexasFreeper2009

I actually agree with you. I thought Gingrich was excellent last night. Bachmann will have wounded him, at least in Iowa, but his performance was generally superb.


9 posted on 12/16/2011 8:28:28 AM PST by americanophile ("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
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To: TexasFreeper2009
Only a liberal would think Romney won last night, Gingrich BLEW ME AWAY again last night. It wasn’t even close.

Agreed. Every media outlet I've read/seen has been trying to spin this as a Romney win, though. It's absolutely incredible how badly they want Romney as the nominee. The lengths they're going to protect him during the primary. His stuttering mess of an answer on abortion & the activist judges he appointed were shameful and obvious B.S., but somehow he "won".

10 posted on 12/16/2011 8:28:42 AM PST by Lady4Liberty (Watch Romney endorse Obama's radical liberal agenda: http://youtu.be/i1fThdWagJ4)
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To: americanophile

Bachmann tends to get carried away and in the process plays fast an loose with the facts. Comparatively speaking, she’s been getting a pass on it so far. However, if she becomes the GOP nominee, the media will focus in on this like a laser.


11 posted on 12/16/2011 8:28:42 AM PST by TBBT
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To: americanophile

I’m of the belief that an ABR nominee will emerge. At this point I don’t know who that would be. Gingrich has a leg up, but the long knives are out and being wielded not only by the establishment pubbies but the libs as well.

I used to really like Bachmann, but I’m convinced she and Flip have worked out a deal. If he is the nominee she will be the VP pick in hopes of shoring up that huge part of the base that is off-limits for him.

I also think Coulter is well aware of this arrangement between Romney and Bachmann. Her painting Romney and Bachmann as the only two real conservatives in the primary is just too transparent.


12 posted on 12/16/2011 8:28:55 AM PST by bereanway
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To: TexasFreeper2009
Only a liberal would think Romney won last night, Gingrich BLEW ME AWAY again last night. It wasn’t even close.

Agreed. Every media outlet I've read/seen has been trying to spin this as a Romney win, though. It's absolutely incredible how badly they want Romney as the nominee. The lengths they're going to protect him during the primary. His stuttering mess of an answer on abortion & the activist judges he appointed were shameful and obvious B.S., but somehow he "won".

13 posted on 12/16/2011 8:29:02 AM PST by Lady4Liberty (Watch Romney endorse Obama's radical liberal agenda: http://youtu.be/i1fThdWagJ4)
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To: VanDeKoik
You have to wonder if Bachmann, her candidacy about as moribund as anyone save Romney or Gingrich, is campaigning for a vice presidential spot with Romney. She did take shots at Paul, of course, but her main fire was directed at Gingrich.
14 posted on 12/16/2011 8:30:30 AM PST by Wallace T. (Shoot, shovel, and shut up)
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To: americanophile

LOL. Another leftwing datadump boosts for Romney. I’m shocked!


15 posted on 12/16/2011 8:30:49 AM PST by Antoninus (Take the pledge: I will not vote for Mitt Romney under any circumstances. EVER.)
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To: Leep
Delusions of grandeur...she's still trying to win in Iowa thinking it will give her campaign new life. Newt's top dog, so that's where you can steel votes. The article's analysis is probably right though. As Gingrich comes down, his votes drift off here and there. It benefits Romney. Bachman helped him last night, but his best friend has been Ron Paul, who has been savaging Gingrich on the air.
16 posted on 12/16/2011 8:32:51 AM PST by americanophile ("this absurd theology of an immoral Bedouin, is a rotting corpse which poisons our lives" - Ataturk)
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To: TexasFreeper2009

It was a great debate—one of the best so far. Fox did themselves well. My take.

Newt Gingrich did well—I believe he won the Ronald Reagan camugen prize and showed himself to be the front runner. His complement to Mitt was a stroke of genius. His attack of the 9th Court was brilliant.

Mitt Romney did well too. He kept slugging away and didn’t lose any points proving its really a two man race.

Perry did a fare job but didn’t seem to rise to the level of the other two. He was relaxed, folksy, and looked up to the night.

Who lost?

Ron Paul—he was sent into a tailspin by Michele B. He started to seem out of it by the half way point. He was the big loser—He’s in the wrong party—he should be a Libertarian and this proved he’s not ready to lead the GOP.

Michele Bachman immolated herself with a sort of deer in the headlights look—she seems out of her water. BUT she didn’t do bad and may well have knocked out Ron Paul.

Huntsman looked like a career politician —all platitudes and nice buzz words. No good ideas—he’s gone. He even tried to get traction bashing Trump. He lost.

Santorum also didn’t look ready—he’s out—Nice guy for VP maybe. The way I see it—we have: Newt/Romney or Romney/Newt


17 posted on 12/16/2011 8:36:21 AM PST by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: Reagan69

“Bachmann jumped the shark.”

During this campaign she has become the Evel Knievel of shark jumping.


18 posted on 12/16/2011 8:37:48 AM PST by Psalm 144 (Voodoo Republicans: Don't read their lips - watch their hands.)
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To: Lady4Liberty
Every media outlet I've read/seen has been trying to spin this as a Romney win

Who you going to believe, them or your lying eyes?

19 posted on 12/16/2011 8:38:27 AM PST by going hot (Happiness is a momma deuce)
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To: Leep
Bachmann has made it quite clear that she is different from "Newt Romney" as she refered to both of them in the last debate. Bachmann called Romney the "frugal socialist" and added that label to Newt after that.

Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., dismissed Republican frontrunners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich as "great pretenders" to the conservative movement, calling both candidates "frugal socialists" who can't match her conviction as a conservative.

Gingrich, Bachmann said, "is the same as Mitt Romney." She explained, "You'd think these guys had been the standard bearer for the conservative movement and the Republican Party, but they're great pretenders -- they're frugal socialists," Bachmann said. "People want something that's very bold and very different, they won't get it in either Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich."

The idea that Bachmann is supporting Romney is laughable and patently false.

20 posted on 12/16/2011 8:38:34 AM PST by kabar
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